Black Magic
by Taboo-Hearts
Summary: After a hunt with a witch, Dean gets sick. Chalking it up to some bad diner food, Dean assumes he has the flu, but things are never that simple for the Winchesters. And how did he end up in a psychward. Just an excuse for some Sick!Dean Caring!Sam. Enter Bobby when things go from bad to worse
1. Chapter 1

**.BLACK MAGIC.**

_.1._

"M'fine Sam." came Dean's annoyed tone as he clenched his hand around the steering wheel, knuckles turing white, as he repeated the sentence for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Dean, I just wanna be sure. Who knows what that witch did to you, man." replied Sam as his eyebrows knit together in worry. Leave it to his older brother to play the stoic hero. Invincible. Untouchable. Unhurt-able. _Stupid._ Thought Sam.

"Who cares," Dean replied with a shrug, never taking his eyes off the road, as the impala rumbled on down the highway. "She's dealt with. Problem solved."

"She's dealt with Dean?" Sam asked sardonically, eyebrows pitching up as he shook his head in disbelief. "I'd hardly consider her taking a swan dive off the roof dealt with. Plus-"

"What's not dealt with? We come to town to work a case. Find a friggin witch, which I hate by the way, realize we have to figure out some way to make the broad stop doing her freaky mojo because we certainly can't be ganking humans, but instead she makes it especially easy for us when she, ya know," -Dean makes a downward gesture with his hand as whistle escapes his lips and dwindles to silence- "takes the plunge. So personally Sammy I don't see how this can't be problem solved."

"It's not problem solved because she did something to you Dean. That's why it's not problem solved." and Sam's yelling now. Trying to do anything to get it through his brother's head that maybe, just maybe, something could be seriously wrong with him.

"What are you talking about. I feel fine." Dean says calmly. Composed. Unconcerned. Because he certainly isn't taking Sam's bait and getting into a yelling match half way between Kansas and Ohio. "Eh, why don't you relax a little while your at it, huh, mother hen." Dean says with a pointed look, glancing out the corner of his eye towards his little brother sitting restlessly in the passenger seat.

"Dean, witches have powerful magic. This isn't something to mess around with." Sam replies, not yelling, but certainly with a frantic edge to his voice. Would it kill Dean to take him seriously just once.

Dean realizes he's forcing every muscle in his body to not just let his head fall back in exasperation against the seat. Because god damnit if Sam was anything but persistent. But never one to break cover, and show true emotion, like how much he'd like to just punch his annoying little brother to make him shut up, he cracks a joke instead. "Wait. What?…Witches have magic?" he lets out while feigning a look of astonishment.

"Dean!" Sam bellows loudly in disbelief. _Too _loudly for the confines of the impala, "I'm not kidding around here." and Sam's beginning to wonder if just reaching over to the drivers side and throttling his brother would help the situation at all.

"Sam," Dean barks out harshly, his patience starting to run low, "Just leave it alone alright? I'm fine. Okay? I'm fine." Dean continues in a low growl as he does everything humanly possible to convey the authenticity in his voice, because really, he does feel fine.

Sam slouches in the passenger seat and continues to sit silently, head bowed, lip pouted as his hands twist into the material of his sweater. A distraction.

He misses when Dean looks to him and notices Sam's sullen face and feels the glum atmosphere that has taken over the car. Dean shakes his head, let's out a huff and an eye roll before he speaks again, "I'm _Fiiiine._" Dean drawls out slowly. He's not sure what he can do to make his brother believe him, but right about now, he'd try anything.

"Sure." Sam says shortly. Quietly. Never looking up from feeding his hands through his sweater.

Dean gives another huff as he places his elbow against the door and rests his head against his hand. _Typical Sam_, he smirks to himself. "Cheer up grumpy guss. Today is a good day. There's one less witch in the world," he says with a smile. "I'm on the road with my little brother." He continues as he slaps the back of his hand against Sam's chest, in a brotherly affection sort of way before mumbling to himself, "pain in the ass little brother, but still."

"You feel fine?" Sam mutters out. Looks up to Dean from his slouched position with worry etching every inch of his face. Searching Dean's for a lie, or cover-up.

"Sammy, I feel great." Dean says sincerely, with an underlying pleading for Sam to just believe him.

Dean watches as a small nod envelopes Sam's head and he knows not to expect anything more from him. "Come on you hungry? let's get some lunch. I love me some lunch" Dean says out eagerly before taking the next right and heading into town to find him and his brother some food.

[][][]

Lunch had been rather uneventful. In fact the rest of the day had been uneventful as both boys continued their trek to their next destination. Their next hunt. But after a couple of hours on the road and dark starting to set in, Dean was doing anything he could to hide the pain in his stomach from Sam.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Sam questions his brother as he noticed him shifting restlessly in the drivers seat.

"Nothing's wrong with me." Dean snarks back, "What's wrong with you…_besides_ the obvious"

"Haha." Sam deadpanned, "Dean you've been twitching around since Cincinnati. What gives?" Sam continued as he gave his brother a serious look.

"Oh Sammy, that's really sweet of you to keep such a close eye on me, but really, you can stop now" Dean answers with a fake smile towards his brother.

"Kind of hard not to keep a close eye on you Dean. We've been sitting in the same car for hours." Sam said out annoyed as he taped the pen in his hand against the open folder in his lap that he was reading through.

"What have we got?" Dean asked out, changing the subject, as he nodded towards the folder.

"You're unbelievable" Sam muttered out to himself as he reached down leafing through some papers.

"I'm awesome," Dean answered with a huge grin, "now come on, what have we got?"

"oookay," Sam drawled out, "four murders in Middlefield. The victims have been going missing for the past month. One every Monday."

"So evidently Mondays have some kind of connection to the disappearances." Dean shrugged. He'd seen weirder in the supernatural world. "The bodies were all found when?" he questioned out, and then held in a grunt as a stabbing pain ripped across his stomach.

"Victims went missing on a Monday, bodies turned up on the Friday following." Sam spoke quietly as he rubbed the smooth plastic of the pen across his forehead, deep in concentration, trying to figure out the case.

"So what are we thinking?" Dean questioned out as another pain churned deep in his stomach and he brought his free hand over, clutching tight against his pain ridden belly.

"I don't know, Dean. I mean it's not like spirit's or monsters or whatever generally keep to a schedule. It sounds more like-" Sam stopped talking abruptly when he noticed Dean's hand wrapped around his stomach. "Hey, you okay?" he questioned with concern as he noticed Dean's furrowed brows, and tense jaw. Even in the dimming dark, Sam didn't miss the paleness that had washed over Dean, and the beads of sweat beginning to pop up across his skin.

"What? Yeah." Dean said a little too enthusiastically, "must have been some bad food." he continued.

Sam watched in worry, wondering if he should offer to take over driving as Dean's hands began to shake. But before he knew what was happening, the impala's breaks had locked up and the car was being steered towards the side of the road, coming to a quick stop. "Dean?" Sam half yelled at his brother as he watched him fling open the door and fall to the pavement. "Dean!" and now Sam was really yelling as he heaved his door open and ran around the car towards his brother.

Dean was mortified as he hovered on his hands and knees against the pavement, violent heaves overtaking his body and expelling his stomach contents. Just when he felt that the violent attack was finished, he doubled back over gagging hard, and gasping for air.

"Dean? Dean." Sam cried in panic as he dropped to the ground beside his brother, placing one hand on his brothers back and one grabbing a firm grip against his brothers upper arm as it looked like Dean was about ready to fall head first into the pavement with the effort of being sick. "Hey, hey, take it easy." Sam soothed, and he could have sworn he heard his brother say 'you take it easy' between painful gags.

When Dean was done being sick he felt Sam pull him up backwards onto his knees and he stayed there trying to catch his breath as he swayed dizzily on the spot. "Well that was fun." Dean let out as he stared into the dark night, the blowing wind cold against his sweat slicked face.

"Yeah. I'm driving" was all Sam said as he helped pull his brother to his feet. Dean staggered before Sam grabbed a firm grip of him and half dragged, half carried him around to the passenger side of the car. "Ok, easy" Sam let out as he helped lower Dean to the Impala's seat. "You good?" he questioned his brother who was sitting with his feet against the asphalt, arms hanging limply by his side. "Dean, you with me?" Sam questioned before Dean leaned forward and was puking down himself and onto Sam's shoes. "Nrraghh" Sam moaned out as he cupped the back of Dean's neck and pushed him further forward to puke while he moved his feet out of the way of being hit again.

" 'ammy, sorry." Dean moaned out between a heave, "sorr-" he tried to repeat before he was retching again.

"It's okay Dean, it's okay." Sam reassured his brother. "Last time you eat burrito's at some sketchy roadside diner huh, bro?"

Dean barked a painful laugh, wiping his mouth against the back of his arm, as he began to straighten himself up.

"You good for a minute?" Sam questioned his brother.

"M'good" Dean replied lazily, green eyes drooping against his chalky, pale, face as he sat half in the car half out, puke soaking into the front of his shirt.

Sam returned from the trunk of the car with some clothes and an old rag. "I figure you don't wanna change your pants on the side of the road," Sam said as he crouched down with the rag and wiped the spots of puke from Dean's jeans the best he could, "but we can at least change your shirt." He said before taking the rag, wiping his own shoes off, and then tossing the cloth into the bushes. "Come on, get your shirt off." Sam said as he reached towards Dean and grabbed ahold of his shirt.

Dean lifted his hands, pushing Sam away from his clothing, "I can change myself, Sam." He declared in annoyance as he worked his arms out of the sleeves. A dizzy spell washed over him and he took a minute to bite back the nauseous feeling that was creeping back up on him. A shiver ran over his body when the cold night air fell upon his skin. "M'cold" he moaned out to Sam, after dropping his puke covered shirt to the ground, and didn't even argue when Sam moved forward to help him into another t-shirt. Dean was tired. More tired then he'd ever been, and everything was aching.

"Alright, I'm going to get us to the first motel I can find." Sam said as he dropped the shirt over Dean's head and helped guide his brother's arms into the sleeve.

"No Sam," Dean protested, "We have to get to Middlefield."

"Were not going to Middlefield, Dean." Sam said sternly, like he was talking to a small child.

"Have. to." Dean moaned out between a gut wrenching pain.

"You can't do the job sick Dean. Were not going. Now here." Sam ordered out as he grabbed his hoodie and fed one of Dean's arms through it, followed by the other. "Are you done being sick Dean? Or are you going to go full exorcism again?" Sam questioned Dean.

"Think…I'm 'right" Dean moaned out. The nauseousness seemed to have settled for now but his stomach was still in knots, and his head was beginning to throb.

"Alright, just let me know if you need me to pullover." Sam said as he grabbed one of Dean's legs and helped him get it into the car, followed by the other.

When Sam got into the drivers seat he couldn't help but feel bad for how miserable his brother looked. Dean was slouched up against the Impala's door, one hand resting against his stomach, as the other one grabbed Sam's hood and pulled it up over his head. The dark blue hood drooped down across Dean's face, making a stark contrast between the paleness of the skin that it was covering.

Sam sighed before he put the car into drive in search of the nearest motel...

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><p><strong>Please leave me a review if you want more :)<br>**I'd love to know what you think thus far.


	2. Chapter 2

**.BLACK MAGIC.**

_.2._

It didn't take long for Sam to come across a roadside motel. It was in bad shape, run down looking, but nothing that they weren't used to. Parking the car out front he glanced over to Dean who remained slouched up against the impala's door. Both his arms were cradled around his stomach and Sam couldn't see his eyes buried beneath the hoodie, but he could tell that they were closed and Dean was sleeping by the rhythmic, shallow breaths.

"Dean, I'm gonna get us a room." Sam said as he placed a hand onto Dean's forearm.

"Mmph." was the only response as his brother weakly shrugged away Sam's hand.

"Right." Sam said to himself as he pushed himself out of the Impala and towards the office of the motel. Sam figured the next few days weren't going to be pleasant if Dean wasn't feeling better soon. Dean was just the type that his personality had him going from needy bitch to moody asshole in two seconds flat -and just as quickly switching back. Sam sometimes had a hard time figuring out when to hover and when to back off, and with Dean's moods changing constantly it made it that much more difficult.

"Alright, come on Dean." Sam said out gently, as he pulled open the Impala's door upon returning from the motel's office. He grabbed a grip of Dean and helped hoist him out of the car.

Dean pushed Sam off, planting both hands firmly on the car, as he shook his head trying to rid the dizziness. "I can walk by myself you know." He ground out into the dark night.

"Yeah. You're doing a bang up job so far." Sam commented dryly. "Come on." he moaned out in an annoyed manner before slinging one of Dean's arms over his shoulder and leading him towards their room.

Dean stumbled along beside Sam, hands gripping onto his brother to avoid face planting into the ground. They'd just made it into the room, a precarious dance at the door as Sam tried to hold Dean's weight up while unlocking the door. Dean followed as Sam began leading him to one of the double beds before his stomach seized and knotted in pain. "Nooo," Dean groaned out, hand curling around his stomach, "bathroom, Sam." he moaned out in pain as he felt his brother help lead him towards the small bathroom.

Dean practically fell in front of the toilet, his shaky legs giving way, as his arms encompassed the porcelain. It was mere seconds before he was hacking and gagging, head bowed low, knuckles turning white with his tight grip on the toilet's edge.

"Whoa, whoa whoa," Sam murmured out quietly as he rubbed a hand against his brothers back, "breathe, Dean." he coached as he noticed how red his brothers face had turned, and the protruding veins in his neck.

Dean would have rolled his eyes in annoyance if he wasn't in so much pain.

"Dean! Breathe." Sam let out a bit more frantically, as his grip tightened on his brothers shoulder.

"B-busy…puking." Dean choked out between gags. And really, he'd like to gulp down a nice breath of fresh air but the heaving in his stomach was relentless. He was quite literally almost choking to death because of it.

"Dean, take a breath!" Sam ordered before reaching around Dean's chest and rubbing his fist roughly along his brothers sternum.

Dean took a large gasp in as he felt his brothers large hand rub firmly against his chest, pain radiating in the centre of his chest where his sternum had just been assaulted. "Bitch move, Sammy," Dean wheezed, "Can't a guy puke in peace, huh"

"Yeah, well next time your puking in peace, remember to breath dipshit. You've heard of it right? It's this important thing your body does to survive." Sam mocked back to Dean who was still curled around the toilet.

"M-minor details." Dean croaked out.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brothers nonchalance, then turned to the sink, flipping the tap on cold. He ran a washcloth under the cool stream of water before filling a cup up and handing it down to Dean.

"Thanks." Dean muttered to Sam as he knocked back some of the liquid, swishing it around his mouth, then spitting it back into the toilet.

"Don't mention it." Sam answered cooly, as he reached foreword pushing the broken handle of the toilet, and washing away the evidence of Dean's sickness. Sam moved the cloth closer to Dean's pale skin, ready to wash some of the sweat from his face when Dean started yelling.

"Whoa! You try and wash my face with that cloth and so help me God, I will kick your ass." Dean threatened out, finger raised in warning at his younger brother who did nothing but make an innocent face, and shrug his shoulders. "Give it here." Dean continued as he held his hand out for the cloth.

Sam dropped the wet cloth into Dean's waiting hand with a massive eye roll and mumbled 'fine'. Dean had just finished practically turning his insides, out, and he was still being the hero. Still being the guy who didn't need help.

_Still being the older brother who looked out for his baby brother. _Because apparently some things never change.

Sam watched as Dean pushed himself up onto quivering legs, and it took all of about 5 seconds before he was moving forward to get a grip on Dean and steady him.

"I'm fine, Sam." Dean let out annoyed with a pointed glare in Sam's direction.

"I see that," Sam let out unconcerned, not loosening his grip on Dean, "Let's just get you to bed and let you sleep it off, huh?"

"I can get there myself." Dean snarked out. He knew it would be an effort but he didn't want Sammy to see him so weak. Didn't want Sammy to have to look out for him. It was supposed to be the other way around.

"Or I can help you." Sam said with an unbending seriousness.

"Or I can punch you." Dean said with a shrug and a surprisingly serious face.

"You're playing wounded Dean. You could try. Just shut up and let me help you to bed." Sam said as he began to pull Dean out of the bathroom.

Dean collapsed onto the mattress face down before Sam was picking at him, pushing him and trying to roll him over. "Uhhh, you are such a pain in my ass, Sam." Dean growled out as he rolled onto his back.

"You wanna sleep in puke covered pants? Come on, get your jeans off."

Dean shrugged out of his jeans, dropping them in a pile on the floor before rolling onto his side and burying his face in the pillow.

Sam pulled the blanket up around Dean's neck and watched as his brother snuggled lower, practically being buried beneath the covers, brown spikes of hair sticking out the top.

All was quiet in the hotel room until 3 that morning.

When Sam heard the gagging coming from the bed beside him, he jumped up quickly, flicking the light on. Dean was hanging over the side of the bed, saliva hanging from his mouth as he choked and gagged.

"Dean?" Sam questioned frantically as he dropped down to the floor, grabbing Dean's head in his hands and lifting Dean's face to his view. "Dean!" Sam yelled shaking his brother. Sam's heart jumped into his throat. Dean's eyes were glassy and glazed over, barely opened into slits, and his skin was on fire to the touch. Sweat was pooled in Dean's t-shirt, a cold dampness moving into it, and his skin was clammy and flushed -and hot. _Too hot_.

"Hey, hey, Dean, wake up." Sam cried out while watching Dean's eyes roll up in his head, "Dean. Dean, come on." he pleaded as his hand gripped harder against Dean's sweltering skin. Letting Dean's head go, he watched as it flopped forward unconsciously. "Damnit!" he growled out as he raced into the bathroom turning the hot and cold taps equal amounts and letting the tub start to fill before returning to his brother.

"Uarghh," he groaned out while dragging his brother from the bed, "It's okay, Dean. J-just gotta get you cooled down." He grunted out as he dragged Dean's limp body towards the bathroom.

It took a lot to scare Sam, but at this moment Sam was scared. Scared for his brother who was currently burning up in his hands. Scared for his brother who's head remained bobbing unconsciously as Sam pulled him towards the bathroom. Scared that there are some things that people just can't snap back from, one of which being a fresh sizzled brain, over ridden with fever.

Sam had to get Dean's temperature down, and he had to get it down quick.

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><p><strong>Leave a review if you want more sick Dean :) After all they are the only thing that keep me writing a story<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**.BLACK MAGIC.**

_.3._

"Sammy." Dean was shouting as he clawed at his brother trying to get out of the water that he'd just been dropped in. Dean didn't remember much. He remembered waking up puking, being sweltering hot and feeling like shit, then everything went black until he was being dropped into a tub of freezing cold water, and being held there.

"Shh, Dean, it's me. It's me." Sam tried soothing as he held tight against Dean's struggles, keeping as much of his brothers fevered body under the luke warm water as possible.

"S'cold, Sammy." Dean practically whimpered out as he tried pushing himself up and out of the tub again.

"It's not, Dean. Hey, hey, hey," Sam chanted well loosening Dean's grip on the tub's edge and pushing him back into the water, "Dean, stop."

"Sammy, s'cold." Dean whimpered out again as he curled his fist into the front of Sam's t-shirt.

"Just five more minutes Dean, okay? Just five more minutes." Sam said as he grabbed a washcloth and dunked it into the water.

"D-don't feel so well." Dean said out as his eyes pinched shut.

"I wouldn't think so." Sam muttered as he brought the wet washcloth up to Dean's head and ran it down his face, before dunking it in the water and running it back over his brother's hair, around his ears and along the back of his brothers neck.

Dean cringed when he felt the cold water make contact with his face. The iciness of the water felt strangely like fire against his skin, leaving an unpleasant burning after Sam had rinsed his face and neck.

Dean continued to push against Sam, wanting out of the ice cold water, and once Sam could see some lucidity returning to Dean's ghostly pale face the stopper on the tub was pulled. Sam reached down pulling Dean's wet t-shirt up and over his head before grabbing some towels and dropping them onto his brother.

Dean looked miserable as he lay slumped in on himself in the tub, as if it was too much effort to even sit straight, his arms curled in on himself, gentle shakes moving throughout his body. "That bad?" he weakly questioned out, as he watched Sam searching the drawers for more towels.

"That bad." Sam confirmed as he pulled another towel from the drawer and dropped it onto Dean's wet hair. He buried his brothers head in the towel, and quickly rubbed it dry.

"Ok, come on, Dean. We need to get you back to bed…and we definitely need to get some medicine into you before your brain fries up. Let's go." Sam says patiently to Dean as he reaches down and grabs a tight grip on his brother and attempts to pull him to his feet. It's hard. His brothers practically dead weight, but eventually he gets an arm hooked around his neck and he, non too gracefully, drags Dean back towards the bed. He searches the duffel, digs to the bottom as he pulls out a pair of clean boxers and tosses them in Dean's direction, "put those on."

Dean fumbles with the instructions, shaking fingers and aching body not willing to co-operate with the command. It takes longer then it should but eventually he rids himself of the cold wet boxers for clean, dry ones. Sam moves towards him then, drops 2 pills into his hand and offers a glass of water with the other. "Take these. They'll help…hopefully." It takes a minute for Dean to get the pills down, and he bites back a gag when they begin to melt in his mouth, the nasty acidic taste coating his tongue.

"Ok, come on, back to bed." Sam says as he takes the empty glass back and grabs ahold of Dean's legs, lifting them back up into the bed. When he sees Dean grab for the comforter he stills his hands "Nu-uh Dean, you're already aiming for deep-fried extra crispy on your own -no more blankets."

"M'cold Sammy." Dean mumbles out.

The look on Dean's face is enough to make Sam cave, even if just a little bit. He drops the sheet onto his brother and pulls the comforter away. "Just that for now. When your fever comes down you can have this back." He says as he tosses the thick blanket onto the grungy couch.

Dean draws the sheet up around his neck, tries to gather what warmth he can from it as he closes his eyes and is drawn into darkness. It's not until much later that Dean wakes up. The soft glow from the t.v. casts an eerie glow around the room.

"Something's out there." Dean hears Sam say as he watches his brother lift the curtain corner and stare out the window.

"W-wh-what is it." Dean says as he slowly draws himself from the tangled sheet and pushes himself to his feet.

"I'm not sure." Sam answers as he grabs a gun and checks that the clip is full before sliding it back into place with a snap. "You stay here."

"What? Sammy no. You're not going out there alone."

"Stay here, Dean. You're not well enough to hunt right now." Sam says as he opens the door and runs off into the night. Dean watches him go, see's his body disappear into the trees in the distance. Dean moves to the night stand, fumbles to get a hold of some kind of weapon to help. He picks up a small pocket blade, feels it slice into his skin, sees the red seep between his fingers onto the carpet below, but puts the pain into the back of his mind before he stumbles out into the night after his brother.

He makes it to the trees, stops and listens. He hears a twig snap and moves as quickly as he can in that direction. He's trying to run but his body's not working right, so he focuses on staying on his feet. "Sammy! Where are you." He shouts as he stumbles over rocks and tree roots, all acting as if there trying to snake there way around his ankles and pull him to the ground.

"Here, Dean. I'm over here!"

Dean lifts his arms, pushes the leaves aside and moves towards Sam's voice. He makes it through a dense patch of forest when he sees Sam, standing there silently looking at him. His brother turns and moves further into the forest out of his view.

"Sammy, please wait! Lemme help you. Sam!" Dean cries as he makes to try and catch up with his brother. He continues forward, struggling to make it through the thick trees. He stumbles along, calling for his brother and just when he's about to give up hope he finally reaches him again. He sees him crouched on the ground, his back towards Dean, unmoving. Unspeaking.

"Are you hurt?" Dean questions. But he gets no answer.

"Sam?" he says again as he moves forward. He reaches his brother, moves his hands to touch his back, turn him around, make him talk. Something. He expects flesh to hit flesh, but instead when Dean's hands make contact with Sam's form it disappears as if it was never even there. He gasps then, looks around the forest, rubs an arm across his sweaty forehead as he tries to figure out what is going on. He's unsure of a lot at the moment. But he does know that he should be back in the hotel room. That he should never have even left.

He turns on the spot. Tries to go in the direction that he came from. He trips over a rock and falls down a small hill. There's a pinch in his gut as he rolls over from his stomach and sees the knife blade protruding from his belly. He pulls it out almost never feeling a thing and drops his fingers to the front of his stomach. They get wet with blood and he rubs it between his fingers as he stares at it intently, confused almost. Nothings making sense. He's numb. Dean shoves himself to his feet again, saunters a couple more steps before falling face first again, pocketknife in his outstretched hand, and everything goes dark.

When Sam wakes up, Dean is gone, the door is open, and there's blood splattered on the floor.

He knows it can't be good.


	4. Chapter 4

**.BLACK MAGIC.**

_.4._

Sam's been scanning the woods for what feels like hours. He follows bare footprints on the forest floor in a desperate search for his brother.

"Dean!" he yells out again. He's worried now. Correction, he was worried when he woke up and Dean was missing from the hotel room. He's _especially _worried now. Because Dean's wandering around sick and not in the right state of mind.

"Dean!" he calls again into the dark forest. Still no answer.

Dean assumes he's passed out. He hears a faint calling of his name but he's still plunged in blackness.

Sam moves forward through the thick brush and finally see's his brother. His heart jumps into his throat as he sees the form laying splayed down, face first against the ground. He runs over, Dean's name on repeat, but Dean doesn't even stir.

When he reaches to roll him over he expects to see closed eyes, pale face, but instead Dean's eyes are staring straight up into nothingness.

_Ah god, Sammy, thank god._

"Dean?" Sam questions, happy to see his brother is at least awake. But Dean doesn't respond. Doesn't speak, doesn't blink, doesn't even flinch.

"Dean?" he questions again, shaking his brother's shoulders, "what's wrong? where are you hurt?"

Dean see's Sam in his line of sight, hears everything he's saying, but as much as he tries he can't make his body_ do_ anything. _What the hell, what the hell, what the hell. Sam._

"Dean, this isn't funny. Snap out of it. Dean!"

And Dean wishes he could. Really he does. Because he's really starting to panic and feel scared. But as much as he urges himself to speak, to even twitch a finger, nothing happens. He's just stuck laying there with a limp body and words sitting on the end of his tongue.

"Okay Dean, hang on. I'm gonna get you help." Sam says as he hoists his brother over his shoulder and begins the hike back to town, "just hang on."

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Sam gets back to the hotel as fast as he can while still carrying his brother. Dean still hasn't moved or made any attempts to talk to Sam and Sam doesn't think twice when he's immediately laying Dean into the backseat of the impala and taking off as fast as he can in the direction of the nearest hospital.

He pulls up, the impala taking up two spots as he slams on the breaks and the car screeches to a halt.

_Dude, careful on the car._

Dean hears rustling, before he realizes that Sam is digging through the consoles in search of a fake ID with some insurance attached to it.

"K, good." he mumbles to himself as he launches himself out of the front seat and pulls the rear door open.

Deans looking up at Sam's face, even upside down the worry is evident. He lazily blinks - the only thing he has been able to do.

"Dean? You with me?" Sam lets out hoping for an answer. When he gets no response he reaches down and is pulling his brother, dead weight and all, from the backseat. He lifts him over his shoulder as he marches into the hospital.

"I need some help over here!"

"What's happened?" A young nurse shouts as she rushes towards them pushing a gurney.

"Sick - my brothers been sick. Fever. Flu. I think. I just - I just woke up and found him like this. He c-can't - he can't speak. Can't move."

"It's okay, we're going to do everything we can to help." the nurse reassures Sam as she and other nurses help him lower Dean to the gurney. "What's his name?"

"He can't move." Sam says getting lost in his own world.

"Hey!" the nurse shouts, snapping Sam out of his trance, "what's his name?"

"Dean, his name's Dean."

"We're going to do everything we can. Wait over there." she says as they wheel Dean away from Sam. He feels completely lost. Just stands there staring after them - even after they've turned down a hall and aren't in his site anymore.

"Come on, hun." Sam jumps slightly at the grey haired nurse hooking a comforting arm around his back and leading him towards the waiting room. "This way. We'll get started on the paperwork."

[][][][][][][]

"His pupils are reactive." the doctor reaches down and rubs a hand against his sternum, "Dean? Can you speak to me buddy?"

Dean wants to. Wants to tell him to fuck off and stop assaulting his sternum because it really hurts. But he can't speak. Can't even move.

"Come on buddy, talk to me." the doctor repeats.

_I'm freaking' trying here. _Dean thinks as he wishes for any kind of movement to take over his body. He'd even be happy if a groan could escape his lips, but he doesn't even get that satisfaction.

A pen light enters his eyes again and he wants to scream.

He feels his clothes being cutoff and wires being hooked up.

_Ouch. You son of a bitch._ Dean is thinking as he watches the doctor pull the needle from his finger.

"Anything?" a nurse speaks up.

"Nothing." The doctor replies as he moves down to Dean's foot and pushes the needle into his big toe.

_Goddamn, knock it off!_ Dean wants to yell.

"No reaction to pain stimuli."

"What is going on here?" one of the nurses says out into the trauma room.

"I've got no idea, let's get this kid to a CT scan and MRI immediately. See if we can't find out an answer."

_Yeah, answers would be good. Like today._

[][][][][][][][][][]

It's been days at the hospital. There's been an endless amount of tests and doctors still can't explain to Sam what's wrong with his brother. Dean has remained silent, motionless. Green eyes staring straight ahead, a lazy blink occurring not nearly enough.

They put drops in his eyes throughout the day to keep them from drying out. The second day they put in a feeding tube. Snaked it up Dean's nose and down to his stomach. Sam sat with him through the procedure to be able to comfort him, but he just laid there. At night they give Dean a sedative and tape his eye lids down, they assure Sam he gets enough sleep every night and that's where Sam currently sits. Hunkered in an uncomfortable chair with Dean's hand held tight in his own.

Sam finally gets fed up and demands answers after all the tests. The doctors still can't give them. They explained that the CT scan and MRI all came back normal. Normal brain function and normal brain activity. That Dean should be talking. Should be moving. And the only reason they could see that he wasn't was simply because he wouldn't.

Sam laughed in their face.

He knew Dean, and he knew there was no way that Dean was just going to roll over and die. Stop moving, stop talking, lay there well they poked, prodded, and threaded tubes into his body. Something was wrong.

"I'm sorry Sam, there's nothing else we can do for your brother here. Medically, he isn't at a risk. He needs a psychiatric evaluation-"

"No." Sam cut off the doctor.

"Sam he needs professional help. We can't give him that here." the doctor implores. He knows it's a low blow when he continues, using Sam's obvious protectiveness against the older boy, but the doctor needs to free up this bed, and he knows the hospital is no longer a place for Dean's case. "I know you only want what's best for your brother. This is it. I'm _giving_ you the answer."

"H-he's not some kind of crazy person." Sam stutters out as he stands up and faces the doctor full on.

"Sam, I'm not saying he is," the doctor assures as he raises his hands, "I'm just saying a hospital isn't where he belongs anymore, we can't get him better here. Let's get him the kind of help he needs and see if we can't get back the guy you knew, huh?"

Sam still looks uncertain, so the doctor continues speaking.

"Sam, Meadowvale is the best psychiatric care facility around. They're top of the line in this field and even have trained medical staff on hand. A doctor and group of nurses as well as all the original staff trained for psych cases. They can do their job and still have the resources available to do medical research if need be without having to worry about having Dean transferred back and forth between facilities…which can take a toll on his mental state. The nurses there can keep up with his feeding tube cleaning and changing and any other things that he would normally have to have done at a hospital. We want to keep everything as easy as possible for your brother. Eliminate any extra stress, and let him focus on getting better."

Sam's convinced now. Knows that this _is_ what's best for his brother and his road to recovery. However long that may be. "When do we leave?" He asks the doctor.

"I can phone over right now and have everything arranged for a transfer tonight."

"Okay. Set it up." Sam says with a sigh.

"You're doing the right thing, Sam." the doctor says as he squeezes the brother's shoulder before leaving the room.

"Yeah. I hope so." he sighs, as he sits back down beside Dean's bed and grabs his hand into his own.

[][][][][][][][][][]

"Dean, we need to go over some things." Sam says hesitantly to Dean Just before 6pm. They'd both just been sitting there in silence since Dean's eyes had been untaped for the day and he'd been awake - if that's even what you can call Dean's state. He still hasn't moved or uttered two words to Sam. "We're leaving this hospital tonight-"

_About time…these fucking quakes have done shit all for me. _Dean is miserable. Angry. Tired of lying lifelessly in a hospital bed. There - but not there.

"I've read up on the facility - it seems really nice. I think it might be able to help…and I just want to say before hand - look I know you're not crazy okay? - "

_What are you talking about?_

"and I think you're still in there - so I'm just going to apologize before hand -"

_Sam, what did you do? _And Dean's actually beginning to worry a little bit.

"But it's not just a psychiatric hospital okay. They've got regular doctors and nurses too and I think it's going to be good for you - for us, okay?"

_Oh Sam, no, no, no. A fucking mental hospital! What have you done!_

"It will all be okay, you'll see." But Dean can tell that even Sam seems unconvinced by that statement. He always could tell when Sam was lying.

_Stop saying okay! This is not okay Sam!_

"Okay, they're here to pick you up. I'm going to ride over in the ambulance with you."

Dean's doctor enters first with two paramedics following who are pushing a gurney. The hospital has established that Dean is stable and remove the heart monitor and IV, but leave the feeding tube before sending him to Meadowvale.

Dean feels suffocated when the paramedics transfer his lifeless body to the gurney and wrap a blanket around him. Straps are tightened across his chest, belly, thighs, and calfs and then he's rolling down the hallway, Sam following beside him with a handful of head scans to pass on to the doctor at the Meadowvale Psychiatric Facility.

It's a 35 minute drive to Meadowvale. The ambulance comes to a stop and the rear doors are opened up. Sam steps out first.

"Yeah. It's nice, Dean." Sam says with caution in his voice as he looks around.

Dean is pulled out of the back of the ambulance and gets his first real look, and it is nice - he hates it immediately. It's fabricated, perfect, nothing out of place. It's a false image.

They don't spend much time out side before pushing Dean towards the large wooden doors. The foyer is bright and airy, fancy wood floors, a large receptionist desk is just inside with young pretty girls sitting behind it. A few large fancy chairs and couches are seated to the side.

"Hi welcome." One of them beams as she moves out from behind the desk. "Sam, Dean," she smiles, "follow me."

They follow her down a couple hallways, Sam notices there are some bedrooms, a nice large kitchen and bathrooms, probably for the staff and guests. He knows immediately they've got to the patients section when he nurse pulls out a access card to move beyond the doors. It worries Sam. Worries Sam that he's about to leave Dean locked behind these doors. Doors that he's not going to be be able to get back through easily.

The other side of the doors are a completely different look to the front area of Meadowvale. It's stark white, empty and clean. There's another desk with nurses sitting behind it and different halls leading away - all requiring access cards or codes to enter. They're directed down a hall and Sam looks at all the doors along the wall - locked, with small windows in the door.

"Sam. We've been expecting you. I'm Dr. Brooks, the leading therapist, and founder of Meadowvale" the doctor says as he reaches forward and shakes the young man's hand with a firm grip, "and that must make you Dean," he continues as he places a comforting hand onto Dean's shoulder, "it's good to meet you Dean, we're glad you're here."

But Dean's not. His mood has continually been going downhill since his first day in the hospital. He'd been through so much in the past couple days and not being able to voice his opinion was making him more miserable by the minute.

He'd endured endless amounts of tests, a lot of them painful and uncomfortable, and because he couldn't move, couldn't speak, the doctors had just continued to assault his body not knowing he could feel everything.

He'd been trying for days to speak to Sam. Make any kind of contact that would let Sam know he was in there and fighting but he needed help. But no matter how hard he tried, it never worked. He just couldn't make himself speak.

"And this is Katie, Sam. She's a new nurse completing a full-time internship. Her future looks promising. She's a registered nurse as well as having psych training. She'll be spending a lot of hours here, particularly on Dean's case. We like to get patients used to a few familiar faces in the beginning…give them someone they can trust and depend on. Dean will have me as his doctor and Katie as his main nurse. We'll substitute another nurse for the hours that Katie isn't with Dean. Those will usually be nights while he's sleeping."

"Hi Dean. Hope you're ride over here was okay." Katie says to Dean before turning to Sam, "It's nice to meet you, Sam. Your brother's in the best hands here. Dr. Brooks is a genius in his field and I'll do everything I can to make sure he's comfortable during his stay here."

"Thanks. I, uh, I really appreciate that. He's never been the type to have people looking after him…he always did the looking out. I worry about what this is going to do to him."

"Ah, the older brother, isn't he?"

Sam nods with a small smile.

"Don't worry, I grew up with 3 brothers. I'm a skilled professional in the 'older brothers' area," Katie says with a smile and wink, "Dean's in good hands, Sam. Don't worry about a thing. We're going to get him settled in tonight, get him some sleep. You come back tomorrow during visiting hours and see for yourself that everything's fine, okay?"

_Sam, please, you - you can't leave me here. Sam. Please._

Sam looks hesitant for a second, before a sigh escapes his lips, "okay."

_Sam please don't leave me in this place._

Dean wants to cry. It sucks but he's never felt more vulnerable in his entire life. The past couple nights - all be it, miserable nights - had been survived with Sam sitting by his side. Sam, his brother - a hunter - next to his bed. Watching him. Protecting him. What was Dean supposed to do now? Being dropped off in a strange place with his brother being kicked out until visiting hours. Left alone completely defenceless.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sam." Katie says confidently before beginning to wheel Dean down the hallway. She sends a cute smile over her shoulder towards Sam who smiles back and raises a hand in parting.

"Too easy." she says disappointedly as a scowl overtakes her features.

Dean's heart beats faster in his chest as he listens to her sneakers squeak along the white linoleum floor. Katie turns Dean's bed roughly into a room - number 374 - jostling Dean's still body when she bounces the bed off the door frame.

"I know you're in there buddy. Unmoving. Watching. Listening. Just stuck." she says as she gets his bed into place and locks the wheels down. "You're probably wondering what this is all about."

Dean watches the nurse move in front of him, hand trailing down his neck, chest, stomach, and finally resting on his thigh with a gentle squeeze.

"I should introduce myself. Seems kind of rude not to, huh?"

Dean just stares at her. It's not like there's anything else he can do.

"Hmph," she giggles, "You're so cute just sitting there." she smiles, before digging her nails sharply into Dean's thigh.

"My name's Katie. Katie Smith. You might remember my sister. Christine. Working your last case seemed to find my sister falling from a rooftop. Ring a bell?"

Dean's heart skips a beat. Yeah, he hated fucking witches.

"Turns out I want payback. Hey Deanie, We're really going to have some fun now." she says with a malicious smile before injecting the sedative into his IV and taping his eyes shut for the night. "I'll see you in the morning," she whispers into his ear as she caresses a hand against the other side of his head.

* * *

><p><strong>Please leave me a review if you would like more :)<strong>


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